Mill Valley low-income housing project nearly done

Low-income seniors and families will have a chance to seek housing in Southern Marin this week as the affordable housing project surrounding Tamalpais Valley's historic Fireside Inn nears completion.

Developers of the newly constructed Fireside Apartments will offer a one-week window to apply for 19 rental apartments beginning Monday through March 10.

"We are just so pleased to be at this point and to have these units available for people to actually live in," said James Buckley, president of Citizens Housing Corp., the project's San Francisco-based nonprofit developer.

Buckley said housing construction was completed last month, and units should be move-in ready in April. Work is now confined to renovation of the two-story Fireside Inn building into a community center and manager residence.

He said there was no reason for people to line up this week as the selection process will be done by computerized random sort "which means everyone has an equal chance to have their number come up."

Applicants will be notified within a couple weeks following the selection process.

The 19 apartments include a mix of four studios and eight one-bedroom apartments for seniors, plus seven two-bedroom apartments for families. Maximum annual household income for qualified applicants ranges from $39,600 for a one-person senior household to $73,260 for a five-person family. Rent ranges from $900 per month for a senior studio to $1,444 per month for a two-bedroom family unit.

Some apartments in the 50-unit complex, located near the intersection of Highways 101 and 1 and across from the Manzanita transit center, will be occupied by residents with special needs, such as people with disabilities and those who were formerly homeless, in coordination with groups including Homeward Bound.

Marin County Supervisor Charles McGlashan said he was "thrilled to see at long last the chance for lower income seniors and families to benefit from this project.

"Well-executed work by Citizens Housing to restore the old building and to improve all the units was no easy feat, but urgently needed, for these families in Marin," he said. "When the new pathways connect them to Tam Junction and transit, I'll breathe a sigh of relief that we can indeed do such things in our challenging county."

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for the Fireside Apartments will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at 115 Shoreline Highway in Mill Valley. Completed applications can be turned in at the site or mailed in by March 10. For information, call 986-7285.